Kelly Learns
A compilation of my columns from the Sunday issues of the Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona.
I’ve been writing an every-other Sunday column for the Daily Courier in Prescott, AZ since late 2020, thanks to the kind encouragement of long-time columnist Ron Barnes, who spent over 30 years contributing his wisdom not only to the newspaper but to many other people and organizations in the Prescott area. He put in some good words to the publisher and editor for me when he decided to retire from column writing. It’s one of those gifts you never knew you wanted and then realize how grateful you are to have it.
The Daily Courier has exclusive rights to my column for 60 days after publication, which is why you might be reading a Christmas column in February. I love writing but seem to need a project and deadline to do it. Hopefully this blog will inspire me to write more. Thanks for stopping by to check out my site!
Wonderful
I’m a fan of funerals. I know that sounds weird, but I was reminded while attending fellow Noon Lion and longtime Daily Courier columnist Jerry Jackson’s service last weekend how much you can learn about the someone’s life by showing up to one. Seems a lot of folks don’t bother having them anymore, and sometimes there’s not even an obituary, which can lead to awkward moments at the grocery store when you bump into someone you know and ask how their husband is doing, only to find out they passed away months ago. When I walked in to the service, I was glad to see that the middle section of the United Methodist church was filled with row after row of people in yellow vests from the local Lions clubs. The memorabilia table in the entryway had copies of one of his columns to take home. A...
Living history
A few weeks ago, I was helping take photos of veterans at a local senior living facility. As part of the project, we asked the residents to bring photos of themselves from their time in the military so we could use them alongside the current photos. I scanned the old...
The heart of giving
I think I discovered the secret to a long, happy life when I met Ann Wilson last week. Do what you love and it will never feel like work. “I’m going to work for free for the rest of my life,” she says with a smile. She’ll be turning 89 in a few weeks, and her husband...
A history of caring
One of the first doctors I met when we moved to Prescott was Dr. John Oakley. By the time I met him in early 2013 at a local non-profit for end-of-life education, he’d been retired for a number of years. I didn’t notice the building I was sitting in was named the...
Kindercritters
I am beginning to suspect that many folks who grew up in Prescott had Penny Nicholas as their Kindergarten or first-grade teacher. If I’m doing the math right, kids born in 1963 all the way up through 2010 have graced her classroom and maybe even posed for a photo...
Voices from the past
My cell phone sent me an alert that I was almost at my voicemail limit the other day. This doesn’t surprise me because I have a hard time erasing the funny or touching messages I get from friends and family. For me, this started back in the days of answering machines....
Across the generations
This week I had a chance to talk with a class of eighth-graders about the people who live in assisted living and how once upon a time these folks were 14-year-olds too. I asked them to raise their hand if they thought they might live to at least 90, and was impressed...
Just like riding a bike
Our garage has a collection of underused sporting gear hanging from hooks on the wall. Sleeping bags and a tent from the camping trip that happened exactly twice in our 26 years together. A collapsible hula-hoop from my brief stint in a community ed class. (I’ll bet...
Colors of spring
The other day I bought an Easter egg dye kit, which looked remarkably similar to the one I remember using as a kid many years ago. It seemed like a pretty good deal for two bucks. The eggs, on the other hand, are now a precious commodity so I opened the container to...
Skin deep
I got an unexpected phone call on the way home from work today. It was the dermatologist’s office and I figured they’d say “all good, see you next year.” A spot on my back that hadn’t caused concern last year had decided to stretch itself out enough to warrant a quick...
The simplest gift to give
At my age, I don’t know many people who don’t wear glasses, at least for reading, except for my husband, who likes to pretend he doesn’t need them so he leaves them in the car. This requires me to do dramatic readings of the dinner menu when we go out to eat or he can...
A place to call home
“I’m young enough that I could still live in my car if I have to,” she says on the phone, “but many of the other people in this apartment building are pretty old and are doing worse than I am.” We talk for a bit and she tells me some of the things she’s done in her...